San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-10-13

ly attractive on a nearer approach.
Perhaps, however, the fact that it
began raining hard soon after our
arrival and continued almost down TO
our departure may have bad some
thing TO do with our impressions.
But we could not have passed Borne,
being 30 near. Whyi Because q
man once resided near by who has
made il historic and almost classic
ground-we mean the late George
wilkins Kendall. Not only is the
pen mightier than the sword, but
mightier than most other human in
strumontalities. The "literary fellers,"
(as Gen. Grant is said to have styled
them) 'eiH come to the front. Ken
dali, the founder and famous editor
OF the New Orleans Picayune the
historian of the disastrous Santa Fe
expedition in which he participated
the author of finely illustrated his
tory Of the war with Mexico, settled
among these hills and wales as an hum
BILE farmer and ranchman, and by his
presence and his letters to the Picay-
une made all this region famous
throughout the Union. The name
of his ranch was Post Oak Spring,
and it lies some four miles from
Borne. Here he lived and died, his
death caused by an internal injury
from fall from carriage or wagon.
Although the mud and water were
"shoe-top deep" and the rain fell in
torrents, we walked out nearly mile
from town to visit his grave. We
found it in the corner of the little
grave yard, undera marble slab three
by six and half feet, from which we
copied the following inscription, evil
IDENTIFY indited by some preciative
and kindred spirit:
GEORGE WILKINS KENDALL.
In New Hampshire, Aug. %, 1909.
Died
At Post Oak Spring, Texas, Oct. 81, 1867.
Printer, Journalist, Author, Farmer
Eminent in all.
Clear head; stout heart; strong hand.
man of many friends most loved by
those who knew him best.
An old German citizen of Borne,
of whom we sought information of
Kendall, gave MS better idea of the
man than we had before. He said
he was in form heavy set, in dis
position social, jovial and somewhat
playful One who did not affect the
society of the rich, but sympathised
with the poor, and who earnestly
sought to attract worthy immigrants
to his adopted home. His widow
married Mr.. B. T. Dane, q stockman,
and with her daughter resides at the
old Kendall homestead, and he has II
son who is an officer in the regular
army.
Another literary gentleman the
hope of seeing whom attracted us to
Borne, was Dr. Kingsbury; but we
found him absent at the North. His
ranch is about mile out, and we
learned is presided over by his wife.
We correspondent with the Doctor
before we came to Texas, and we rec
ollect he sent US for publication an
photographed sketch of which we
remember the statement that he came
from Missouri through the Indian Ter
ritory on horseback, bringing all his
earthly possessions. He located in
the practice of dentistry in San
Antonio, meantime writing up the
country largely. Oddly enough, we
never met him but once, for about a
minute, during the transit OF "the
stage" at San Marcos.
He was three years in Europe in the
service of the Sunset road as an i'm
migration agent. He is an easy and
graceful writer, and has been charg
ed occasionally with exaggerating the
merits and charms of Texas. We
were told he has accumulated a hand
some fortune, and has large posses
sions in California. The fact that
after all his travels and experience he
continues to reside where he does, is
the best evidence of his appreciation
of Texas and Borne, and is really a
high testimonial in their favor.
We should like to say more of
Borne, both locally and socially, but
our space forbids. We had limited
our stay till Saturday morning. and
the continued rains made us very APP |
prehensive that by another break in
the road we might be detained over
Sunday. The Cibolo, running thro